Automatically locking stool or chair



Patented Jan. l0, I899. H. EARL, JR.

AUTOMATICALLY LOCKING STOOL 0R CHAIR.

(Application filed Dec. 17'. 1897.) (No Model.)

W/TNESSE S: i7 INVENTOH W n60 1 X 961% d BY v A rromv UNITED STATESPATENT OEEIc HUGH EARL, JR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT E.BOBO, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATICALLY-LOCKING STOOL OR CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 617,324, dated January10, 1899.

Application filed December 17, 1897. Serial No. 662,281 (No model.) a

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HUGH EARL, Jr. ,of New York, (Flushing,) in thecounty of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedAutomatically-Locking Stool or Ghair,of which the following is a full,clear, and exact specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a stool or chair soconstructed that the seat will be revoluble only when the weight of aperson is sustained thereby, thus preventing the possibility of thepivoted seats of chairs or stools being accidentally turned when saidseats are unoccupied and avoiding the annoyance in stores and otherpublic places where such seats are used caused by children playfullyturning empty seats.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical central section through the standard of a pivotalseat, the seat and its pivot being in side elevation; and Fig. 2 is aview similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a slight difference inconstruction.

A represents a standard which is provided with an interior longitudinalchamber B. The upper portion of the chamber is preferably made widerthan the other portions, and at the open top of the standard an interiorannular flange 10 is formed, which flange at a desired point is providedwith a slot 11 extending through it from top to bottom.

Under the construction shown in Fig. 1 the lower portion of the chamberB is made in three diameters, producing an extreme lower section 12 ofsmallest diameter, a-next upper section 13 of slightly=increaseddiameter, and a further upper section 14 of greater diameter than thesection 13. Under this formation of the lower part of the chamber B twoshoulders 15 and 16 are obtained.

A T-pin O is located in the lower portion of the chamber B, the head ofthe pin being square or polygonal, so that the pin cannot turn in thesection 14 of the said chamber in which the said head is to be located,the shank of the T-pin being passed through the section 13 of thechamber into the smallest section 12, in which latter section of thechamber the shank of the T-pin may have vertical movement. The head ofthe pin, however, may be given any desired shape.

A spring 17 is coiled around the shank of the pin G, having bearingagainst the under face of the head of the said pin and against theshoulder 16 in the chamber B. When the pin 0 is pressed downward as faras the spring 17 will permit, the head of the pin may rest upon theupper shoulder 15 in the said chamber.

lhe seat D may be of any approved construction and is provided with apivot-section 18, secured in any suitable or approved man ner to itsunder face. The pivot-section 18 of the seat is of such diameter at itsupper portion that it may neatly, yet loosely, fit in the open upper endportion of the standard, while the lower end of the pivot-section of theseat is so reduced in diameter that it'may neatly, yet loosely, fit inthe section 14 of the stand ard-chamberl The lower end of thepivotsection of the seat may be given any desired shape; but preferablyit is' nade conical, and the conical top of the pivot-section is adaptedto bear upon the head of the pin 0.

Near the upper end of the pivot-section of the seat a spur 19 is formedat one side, and when the pivot-section of the seat is to be introducedinto the standard the spur 19 is brought opposite the opening 11 in theflange 10 of the standard, and the seat is pressed downward until thespur 19 will be brought to an engagement with the under face of theflange 10, at which time the conical lower end of the pivot-section ofthe seat will have hear ing on the head of the pin 0. The spring 17 willnow exert upward tension upon the pivot section of the seat and causethe spur 19 to bind so tightly against the flange 10 that the seatcannot be turned without considerable effort; but the moment that theseat sustains the weight of a person the pin 0 will be forced downward,compressing the spring 17 and v carrying the spur 19 from engagementwith the flange of the standard. Thereupon the pivot-section of the seatwill be free to turn on its support in the standard.

In the event the spur 19 should accidentally be opposite the opening 11when a person rises from the seat the seat could not be turned, becausethe spring 17 will not have sufficient power to raise the pivot-sectionof the seat high enough to carry the spur entirely beyond the top of thestandard.

Under the construction shown in Fig. 2 but two reductions in thedimensions of the standard-chamber B are needed. Therefore the chamberis provided with a reduced section 20 near its lower end and acommunicating section 21 of still less diameter at the lower end. Thesame style of pin 0 is employed, and likewise a spring 17, the spring 17being seated at one end upon the single shoulder 22, formed in thechamber, and bearing at the other end against the head of the pin. Underthis construction the head of the pin will not have any fixed bearing tolimit its downward movement, the spring being made sufficiently strongto provide for all emergencies.

Under the construction shown in Fig. 2 I have also illustrated the lowersurface of the flange 10 as provided with a series of depressions 23,whereby the lower face of the flange is scalloped or serrated. Thescallops in the flange serve to receive between them the spur 19 whenthe seat is unoccupied and tend to render it more diffleult to turn theseat at that time. It will be understood that the scallops or serrations23 may be produced upon the flange when the arrangement shown in Fig. 1is employed and with equally good results.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A stool or chair, having a standard and arevoluble seat having'limited vertical move ment thereon, means fornormally holding said seat raised, and a positive lock for said seat,operative to prevent its rotation when elevated, and released bydepression of the seat.

2. A standard, a revoluble seat mounted within the standard, and aspring-support for the seat within said standard, the seat and standardhaving interlocking engagement when the seat is raised, the seat andstandard disengaging from each other when the seat is depressed.

3. A standard provided with an interior flange having a serrated surfaceand a seat revoluble and sprin -supported within the standard, a portionof the pivot of the seat being normally in contact with the serratedsurface of the flange, whereby when the seat is occupied it is free torevolve and when unoccupied is locked against turning, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination, with a standard provided with a longitudinalchamber, the said chamber being open at the top and provided at the topwith an inner annular flange provided with a slot therein, the lowerportion of the chamber being in different diameters, a pin the shank ofwhich enters one section of the chamber, the head of the pin being inthe next section, and a spring coiled around the shank of the pin, thesaid spring resting upon a shoulder within the standard-chamber andhaving bearing also against the head of the pin, of a seat, a pivotsection attached to the seat, extending within the chamber of thestandard, a projection from a side of the pivot-section of the seat,which projeetion is arranged for engagement with the under surface ofthe flange of the standard, the lower end of the pivot-section engagingwith the head of the said pin when the projection from the pivot-sectionengages with the said flange of the standard, for the purpose specifled.

llUGll EARL, J11. lVitnesses:

J. FRED. ACKER, J NO. M. BITTER.

